Shoe welt



Sept. 7, 1965 F. L. SHEA 3,204,351

SHOE WELT Filed June 1'7. 1964 INVENTOR.

FRANCIS L. SHEA BY mum Gamm ATTORNEYS United States Patent f 3,204,351SHOE WELT Francis L. Shea, Wollaston, Mass, assignor to Barbour weltingCompany, Inc., Brockton, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts FiledJune 17, 1964, Ser. No. 375,843 3 Claims. (Cl. 36-78) The invention hasfor a further object to provide a novel and improved method of making ashoe welt of the type specified wherein two shoe welts are producedsimultaneously from a grain leather fillet in a novel and economicalmanner.

With these general objects in view and such others as may hereinafter bedescribed, the invention consists in the shoe welt and method of makingthe same, hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claimsat the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grain leather fillet from which thepresent welts are produced;

FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are perspective views illustrating the sequence ofsteps followed in producing two shoe welts from the fillet shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the inner edge slashed or slittedto facilitate bending the welt in its application around a curvedportion of the shoe; and

FIG. 7 is a similar view showing a modified form of welt wherein theinner edge is serrated to facilitate bend ing of the welt.

In general the present invention contemplates a novel shoe weltparticularly adapted for use in cement processed shoes and whichpresents a grain surface along the upper, side edge and bottom of thewelt extension on one marginal edge and provides a tapered flesh flangealong the other marginal edge adapted to provide an eflicient and securecement bond between the welt and the upper of the shoe. The presentinvention further contemplates a novel method of producing two shoewelts of the character specified from a grain leather fillet of suitablewidth which includes the steps of cutting marginal recessed portions inthe flesh side, leaving two grain surfaced flaps which may be folded andcemented into the recessed portions to provide grain covered marginaledges. Thereafter, a thin grain ribbon is cut from the up er surface,the out being of a width such as to leave marginal grain surfaced weltextension portions. The fillet is then cut longitudinally to provide twowelts, the cut being made at an angle in a manner such as to providetapered or feathered flesh surfaced flanges extending from each weltextension.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents a grain leather fillet ofsubstantial width having a grain surface 12 and a flesh surface 14. Thefirst step in the manufacture of two welt strips from the fillet 10 isto remove stepped marginal strips 16, 18 from the flesh side of thefillet to provide recessed portions 20, 22 in the underside of thefillet and laterally extended grain flap portions 24, 26 as illustratedin FIG. 2. In practice the dimensions of the fillet and the steppedportions cut from the marginal edges may vary to produce welting stripsof a size to meet the individual needs of the shoe manufacturer. In theillustrated example, the fillet 10 may be about A; of an inch inthickness and 1 /8 inches in width, and the 3,204,351. Patented Sept. 7,1965 marginal cuts may comprise similar incisions in opposing marginaledges 28 and 29. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 2, an incision is made inthe edge 28 starting at a point about nd of an inch below the grainsurface 12 and continuing inwardly along a line 30 parallel to the grainsurface a distance of about of an inch from the edge 28. The incision iscontinued downwardly along a line 32 at right angles to the line 30 fora distance of about th of an inch, then at right angles to the line 32along a line 34 parallel to the grain surface for a distance of nds ofan inch, and finally along a line 36 providing a shoulder extendingdownwardly at right angles to the line 34 through to the underside orflesh surface 14 of the fillet. An identical incision is made from theopposite marginal edge 29 to provide the stepped recesses 20, 22 and thelaterally extended grain flap portions 24, 26 as described.

The next step in the production of two welting strips from a fillet, asshown in FIG. 3, is to apply cement to the underside of the flapportions and to the recessed portions. The grain flap portions 24, 26are then folded downwardly over the adjacent stepped and recessed edgesto present the free edges of the flaps in abutting engagement with therecessed shoulder 36 to provide grain covered marginal edges with theportions of the flaps folded around the underside of the fillet flushwith the flesh surface 14. The fillet may and preferably will be moldedin this condition to set the cement and shape the marginal edges toassume a rounded form.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the next step in producing the present shoewelts is to remove a thin grain ribbon 33 about 4 thick and wide fromthe central portion of the upper grain surface 12 providing a fleshgroove 40 having opposed groove walls 42, 44 and leaving grain coveredmarginal portions 45. The fillet thus prepared is then cut to providetwo shoe welt-s by making an angular incision extending from a point 46in the flesh underside of the fillet substantially in vertical alignmentwith the edge of the groove wall 44 and extending diagonally along aline 48 terminating at the bottom of the groove wall 42 as shown in FIG.5. This operation provides two substantially identical shoe welts eachhaving a grain covered welt extension or lateral head 50 and a featheredor tapered flesh flange 52 having upper and lower flesh surfaces adaptedfor use in cement processed shoes.

In order to facilitate bending of the welt strip around the curvedportions of the shoe, the flesh flange 52 may be provided with spaceddiagonal slits 54 providing overlapping flange portions 56 which willslide over one an-) other when the welt strip is bent around a curve asshown in FIG. 6. In a modified form of wel-t shown in FIG. 7, the samepurpose is achieved by forming serrations 58 in the flesh flange 52. Asalso shown in FIG. 7, the grain edge of the welt extension or head 50may be provided with spaced V-shaped vertical cuts 60 or other designsfor decorative purposes.

From the above description it will be seen that the present inventionprovides a novel shoe welt having a grain covered welt extension and atapered flesh flange particularly adapted for use in the manufacture ofcement processed shoes. It will be further observed that the presentinvention also provides a novel and economical method of producing twoshoe welts of the character specified simultaneously from an initialwidth of grain leather fillet which is substantially less than thecombined width of two narrower fillets formerly required for producingshoe welts of the type specified by virtue of the diagonal cutseparating the fillet into two welts which provides complementarytapered flesh flanges, thus effecting a substantial saving in the amountof leather used in producing the welts.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been hereinillustrated and described, it will be underwithin the scope of thefollowing claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: 1. A shoe weltof the character described having a grain covered welt extension alongone marginal edge provided by an integral cover flap extending from theupper grain surface and Wrapped around the edge and a portion of thebottom surface of the welt extension, the

underside of said welt extension having a marginal recess '1 fleshflange being Serrated to facilitate bending of the and the free end ofsaid flap fitted into and cemented in said recess to provide a flushbottom surface, and a tapered flesh flange along the other marginaledge.

2. A shoe welt of the character described having a grain covered Weltextension along one marginal edge provided by an integralcover flapextending from the upper grain surface and wrapped around the edge and aportion of the bottom surface of the welt extension, the underside ofsaid welt extension having a marginal recess and the free end of saidflap fitted into and cemented in 20 said recess to provide a flushbottom surface, and a tapered flesh flange along the other marginaledge, said tapered flesh flange being provided with spaced diagonalslits to permit overlapping of adjacent portions of the flesh flange tofacilitate bending of the welt around curve portions of a shoe.

3. A shoe welt of the character described having a grain covered weltextension along one marginal edge provided by an integral cover flapextending from the upper grain surface and wrapped around the edge and aportion of the bottom surface of the welt extension, the underside ofsaid welt extension having a marginal recess and the free end of saidflap fitted into and cemented in said recess to provide a fiush bottomsurface, and a tapered flesh flange along the other marginal edge, saidtapered welt around curved portions of the shoe.

References Cited by the Examiner 15 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,709,858 6/55Vizard 3678 1 2,750,686 6/56 Vizard 36-78 2,775,829 1/57 Vizard 36783,007,185 11/61 Greene 12-146 3,078,601 2/63 Shea 3678 3,103,024 9/63Greene 12146 3,113,388 12/63 Rubico .l 36-78 JORDAN FRANKLIN, PrimaryExaminer.

FRANK J. COHEN, Examiner.

1. A SHOE WELT OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED HAVING A GRAIN COVERED WELTEXTENSION ALONG ONE MARGINAL EDGE PROVIDED BY AN INTEGRAL COVER FLAPEXTENDING FROM THE UPPER GRAIN SURFACE AND WRAPPED AROUND THE EDGE AND APORTION OF THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE WELT EXTENSIN, THE UNDERSIDE OFSAID WELT EXTENSION HAVING A MARGINAL RECESS AND THE FREE END OF SAIDFLAP FITTED INTO AND CEMENTED IN SAID RECESS TO PROVIDE A FLUSH BOTTOMSURFACE, AND A TAPERED FLESH FLANGE ALONG THE OTHER MARGINAL EDGE.